Title: Random Hour Characters: House, Wilson Rating: G Genre: Angst Word Count: 650Summary: Just... a random hour in the lives of House and Wilson, now that they have to get through their days alone. This series began with Visiting Hour, Happy Hour, Midnight Hour, and Fifty-Minute Hour.

Wilson walks into the exam room and smiles when he sees that the patient is Hank, the prisoner with the deformed foot and the bad attitude. It doesn’t faze him when Hank regards him with a scowl.

“Just gonna get your vital signs, Hank. Then the nurse’ll be in. How you doing today?” he asks as he wraps Hank’s arm with the blood pressure cuff.

“How ya think? Hurtin’. Like usual.”

Wilson frowns; Hank’s blood pressure is high, and his heart is racing. He’s clearly in severe pain. Wilson opens the medical record and is appalled at what he sees.

“We need to talk about increasing your—” Wilson stops himself as he remembers where he is—who he is—now. He shakes his head sadly. “Sorry, Hank. Nurse’ll be right in.”

While they wait for the nurse, Wilson studies Hank—the hunched shoulders, the angry look in his eyes, the way his body’s drawn in on itself, protectively. He’s intimately familiar with the picture in front of him—hell, every single time he’d observed House from a distance, unnoticed, he’d witnessed this same picture. But that, that was just... House; it wasn't someone in unremitting pain! Was it? Was it? This is the first time Wilson’s stopped to consider what all of it means, the first time it’s ever boiled down to truly seeing what quiet suffering looks like. When the nurse enters, Wilson can’t leave the room fast enough.

Wilson stands in the corridor, head down, eyes closed. Should’ve listened. Should’ve believed you. Should’ve been a doctor when I was a doctor. I’m sorry, House.

The situation in the Diagnostics department is unusual—they’ve got two patients. House has the team running every test in the book on the first one while he studies the medical records of the second. He’s deep into the mystery when Cameron bursts into his office.

House looks up distractedly. “Boring. Also, not my gig. Go find Wil—go… track down an oncologist. Building’s crawling with ‘em.”

Cameron shoots him a pitying look, but leaves without another word. House looks back down at the folder in front of him and tries to immerse himself again in the clues that will eventually offer up the diagnosis.

House sighs in frustration when he realizes he’s read over the same test results three times, and he doesn’t remember a thing. This is the first time in his career that that’s happened—the first time ever that the puzzle isn’t enough for him.

You never should’ve lied for me. Everything that happened to you is your own damned fault; I hope you know that. You put yourself in prison. Didn’t need you protecting me. Go back to your cell—get outta my brain, Wilson! It’s all I’ve got left….

House closes the folder, and closes his eyes.

Wilson should still be working; his shift doesn’t end till 3:00. But when the guard saw him leaning against the wall in the clinic, pale and shaking, he’d escorted him back to his cell, told him to lie down a while. They’re kind to him here. He’s well-liked by everyone, staff and inmates alike—but none of them know him.

Wilson wishes that he’d finished out his shift. All there is to do now is think. Wilson doesn’t like to think anymore.

House rouses himself with a start—must’ve drifted off again. Good thing Cuddy hadn’t caught him; she’d have sent him back to that quack shrink, the idiot who thinks House is avoiding some issue.

House tries again to concentrate on the patient history; no luck. He wishes now that he’d stayed asleep. Looking at the folder is just a reminder of something he’s lost—the great Dr. House can’t think anymore.

Three o’clock arrives and the work day ends. Wilson makes himself close his eyes, and tries to nap. House forces his eyes open, and tries not to.

How much coffee do I have to bribe you with to get Tritter convicted of violating the third amendment and therefore all his cases are tainted and Wilson gets set free? This is absolutely painful to read. Our poor guys! Can we move to the happier fic soon? Better yet, fix it! Please? They are both so lost.

Rough. I'm wondering if, after all this, the situation can ever be made right. That is, House remembers and holds grudges (von Lieberman), and I can see him blaming Wilson not only for Wilson's mistakes (as he does in this chapter) but for the consequences House feels too (can't concentrate). Now, we all know House is an idiot, but House doesn't know that and this Wilson doesn't seem too inclined to point House's idiocy out to him. He's too busy walking his own Mt. Purgatory.

That said, can't wait to see where you're taking this. It's such a difficult situation for both, made worse by their own personalities and tendencies. (I love it.)

Excellent work again, kidsnurse. I thought one of the saddest bits in this installment was the fact that Wilson has to keep his mouth shut while working in the infirmary.

Also just wanted to say I think you're doing a great job -- you've created a totally believable ficverse here that's entirely consistent with its own inner rules and logic, and as painful as those may be, it's obviously where your Muse wants to take you. Very much looking forward to more of this.

Er, I'm puzzled. Wilson has prescribed House Vicodin for years, has argued multiple times to others that House is in chronic pain, has shown House concern about his pain, has said to House's face "You're in pain, I get it"... and he's just now realizing that House is, y'know, in pain?Sorry. I love this series, but that just doesn't make sense.

AU though this series is, it does follow canon through season three Wilson's repeated denial of House's pain, denial of House's need for opioids.

As well, I'm not a professional writer, of course--just a fanfic hack with a rabid muse. I do apologize if this series isn't up to your standards for consistency or credibility. I'm doing the very best I can, truly.

*uses lolly icon because this is such a well-crafted ficverse, not because it makes me happy, because it doesn't*

The symmetry in this is amazing (I know I've said it before, but it bears repeating). I'm sorry to hear that there's more of it (I hope you'll take that in the spirit in which it's meant ;P ) but I am very glad to hear that it will have a happy ending.

I love this series, so well written and full of angst. I am glad it will have a happy ending, but I completely understand how you feel and I kind of need this the way it is right now too and so do House and Wilson.

That was so well done, I loved the apparent parallels between them. Shifting their situation like you've done really makes it clear how well they can see and understand each other, especially as a result of this season.

the parallels and juxtaposition present great writing challenges for me--and help me to learn more about house and wilson as characters as well. i'm doing this series as my own self-therapy, but i'm especially pleased that others seem to be taking something positive from it too--or are at least enjoying the angst it produces!

House's cover is just heartbreaking. And Cameron is very wise that she leaves it alone. I think that the razor-edge of his tongue would be even sharper than usual and he doesn't need more bloodstains on his carpet. ;-)

Yes, Wilson realizes his denial... far too late. *sigh* I will have faith in your assurance of a happy ending, but I must admit, it seems to me it would more have to be a turning-of-the-wheel than a true 'happy ending'. But we shall see, shan't we? :-D